freedom of the press 2016 - Freedom House

The Battle for the Dominant Message April 2016

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS 2016

Contents Press Freedom in 2015: The Battle for the Dominant Message

1

Other Major Developments in 2015

5

Countries to Watch

6

Dangerous Topics

7

Regional Trends

8

Sub-Saharan Africa

8

Asia-Pacific 9 Eurasia 11 Americas 12 Middle East and North Africa

16

Europe 17 Notable Gains and Declines

18

Regional Rankings

22

Methodology

27

The Freedom of the Press report is made possible by the generous support of the JyllandsPosten Foundation, the Hurford Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, the Stichting Democratie en Media, Free Press Unlimited, the Fritt Ord Foundation, the Reed Foundation, Kim G. Davis, Bette Bao Lord, and Ambassador Victor Ashe. Freedom House is solely responsible for the content of this report.

Research and editorial team

on the cover

The following people were instrumental in the writing of this essay: Elen Aghekyan, Bret Nelson, Shannon O’Toole, Arch Puddington, Sarah Repucci, and Tyler Roylance.

Cover image by KAL.

Freedom of the press 2016

Press Freedom in 2015

The Battle for the Dominant Message by Jennifer Dunham

Global press freedom declined to its lowest point in 12 years in 2015, as political, criminal, and terrorist forces sought to co-opt or silence the media in their broader struggle for power.

the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, media freedom in the region was threatened by violence, new surveillance and antiterrorism laws, and verbal attacks or interference from politicians and government officials.

The share of the world’s population that enjoys a Free press stood at just 13 percent, meaning fewer than one in seven people live in countries where coverage of political news is robust, the safety of journalists is guaranteed, state intrusion in media affairs is minimal, and the press is not subject to onerous legal or economic pressures.

The varied threats to press freedom around the world are making it harder for media workers to do their jobs, and the public is increasingly deprived of unbiased information and in-depth reporting. However, journalists and bloggers have shown resilience. Often at great risk to their lives, they strive to transmit information to their communities and the outside world, and circulate views that contradict those promoted by governments or extremist groups.

Steep declines worldwide were linked to two factors: heightened partisanship and polarization in a country’s media environment, and the degree of extralegal intimidation and physical violence faced by journalists. These problems were most acute in the Middle East, where governments and militias increasingly pressured journalists and media outlets to take sides, creating a “with us or against us” climate and demonizing those who refused to be cowed. At the same time, the Islamic State (IS) and other extremist groups continued their violent attacks on the media and disseminated powerful alternate narratives through their own networks, reaching vast audiences without the need to rely on journalists or traditional news outlets. Even in the much more open media environments of Europe, journalists faced unusual levels of pressure from terrorists and, to an extent, their own governments. In a year that began with the shocking murder of eight cartoonists and editors at the Paris offices of

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Loyalty or silence Pressure on journalists to display political loyalty was especially intense in Egypt, where the stateowned outlets and nearly all private media embraced a progovernment narrative, and few dared to cross redlines on stories related to the military, security, and the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi himself frequently convened private meetings with prominent newspaper editors and television presenters to discuss the government’s wishes. The Libyan media, which experienced a dramatic opening after the fall of Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi, were caught between rival governments in Tripoli and Tobruk in 2015, in many cases becoming little more than mouthpieces for whichever government or affiliated militia controlled their region. Civil conflict similarly increased media polarization in Yemen, as

1

Press Freedom in 2015: The Battle for the Dominant Message

Freedom of the Press Methodology The Freedom of the Press report assesses the degree of media freedom in 199 countries and territories, analyzing the events and developments of each calendar year. Each country and territory receives a numerical score from 0 (the most free) to 100 (the least free), which serves as the basis for a status designation of Free, Partly Free, or Not Free. Scores are assigned in response to 23 methodology questions that seek to capture the varied ways in which pressure can be placed on the flow of objective information and the ability of platforms to operate freely and without fear of repercussions. The methodology covers the Legal, Political, and Economic environments in which print, broadcast, and digital media operate. The scores reflect not just government actions and policies, but also the behavior of the press itself in testing boundaries, as well as the influence of private owners, political or criminal groups, and other nonstate actors. For a more detailed explanation of the methodology and scoring process, see the Methodology section of this booklet on pp. 27–28 or visit https://freedomhouse.org/report/ freedom-press-2016/methodology.

outlets fell into line with either the exiled government or the Houthi rebels, and independent writers and journalists were marginalized or persecuted. Extremist groups opposed to both sides also took their toll. Syria remained by far the deadliest place in the world for journalists in 2015, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). At least 14 were killed in the country, and three Syrian journalists who had sought safety abroad were assassinated in Turkey, apparently by IS. In addition to terrorizing journalists, IS has proven adept at bypassing formal news outlets and using social media to spread its propaganda around the world. Struggles for media dominance played out in a number of other countries as well. In Turkey, authorities loyal to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan seized critical private media groups and turned them over to politically friendly trustees—a new tactic in the government’s ongoing assault on press freedom. In October 2015, state officials took over Koza İpek Holding, the owner of critical outlets including the television channels Kanaltürk and Bugün and the newspapers Bugün and Millet. In March 2016, the private media group Feza Journalism, owner of Zaman, Turkey’s largest newspaper, was also seized. Both actions were based on the companies’ association with exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen, a former Erdoğan ally who has been branded a terrorist. The already limited space for investigative journalism and online commentary in China shrank further during 2015, continuing a trend of ideological tightening under President Xi Jinping. Professional journalists from established news outlets were detained, imprisoned, and forced to air televised confessions—including Wang Xiaolu of the prominent financial magazine Caijing, who was arrested for his coverage of the falling stock market. Censorship of news and internet content related to the financial system and environmental pollution increased as the economy slowed and smog thickened. Xi reinforced his vision of complete loyalty in early 2016, declaring in a high-profile speech that all forms of media should fully identify with the ruling Communist Party’s agenda, even in the realms of entertainment and advertising.

Security and politics The murder of eight cartoonists and editors in the offices of Charlie Hebdo in January 2015 made France second only to Syria for the total number of journalists killed during the year. The attack also underscored the ongoing calculations that journalists must make, even in otherwise free countries, about the possibil2

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ity of retribution for their work. Such concerns were compounded a month later, when a gunman opened fire on a free expression event in Copenhagen.

Worst of the worst

Of the 50 countries and territories designated as Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2016, the following 10 have the worst total scores.

In the early days after the Charlie Hebdo attack, an outpouring of support for free expression raised hopes for lasting solidarity on the issue. Instead, as the year progressed, media freedoms in some of the world’s strongest democracies came under pressure from security-minded governments and populist politicians. In Spain, a public security law adopted in March 2015 imposed heavy financial penalties on any individuals at a protest, including journalists, who decline to identify themselves to authorities, fail to obey orders to disperse, or disseminate unauthorized images of law enforcement personnel. The last point in particular threatens the work of photojournalists and others who seek to inform the public about police abuses. Defending his government’s overall strategy, Spanish interior minister Jorge Fernández Díaz emphasized the need to strike a “balance between freedom and security”—an approach criticized by many free expression groups.

Country/territory

Total score

North Korea Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Crimea Eritrea Cuba Belarus Equatorial Guinea Iran Syria

97 96 95 94 94 91 91 91 90 90

gave authorities sweeping surveillance powers with little oversight, leaving journalists and their data vulnerable to intrusive monitoring. In November, the British government published a draft bill, currently under review, that would require telecommunications companies to retain citizens’ browsing histories and communications data for possible use by the authorities. A law passed in Australia in March 2015 requires telecommunications firms to store metadata on calls

Other democratic governments used a similar rationale in codifying their surveillance practices. In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack, the French government pushed through an intelligence bill that

Biggest Press Freedom Declines in 2015

-3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -3 -4 -4 -4 -4 -4 -5 -5 -5 -6 -6 -6

-7 -9

Ghana Hungary Maldives Saudi Arabia Sierra Leone Swaziland Egypt Macedonia Sudan Tunisia Zimbabwe France Serbia Yemen Burundi The Gambia Turkey Bangladesh Nauru

-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0


3

Free 16

Not Free 14

46%

69%

35%

Press FreeDoM in 2015: The Battle for the Dominant Message

: N A: ON

WORLD: STATUS BY POPULATION

and messaging for two years. Media advocates warn that such measures could be used to identify journalists’ sources and expose government whistle-blowers.

WORLD: STATUS BY POPULATION GloBal: statUs By PoPUlation

Not Free Not Free 3,361,027,703

46%

3,361,027,703

46%

Free

Partly Free

13%

2,984,320,079

Free

Partly Free 41%

13%

2,984,320,079

41%

0.2% 1,972,230

e 0.2%

988,251,358

1,972,230

:

988,251,358 WORLD: STATUS BY COUNTRY GloBal: statUs By CoUntRy WORLD: STATUS BY COUNTRY

A:

Partly Free 27

Not Free 66

54%

33%

Partly Free 27

Not Free 66

54%

33%

Total countries Total 199 countries 199

al ries tal tries 0 Partly Free 71

36%

Partly Free 71

36%

Free 62

31%

Free 62

31%

In another worrisome development, some European political leaders focused their attention on editorial control over public broadcasters. One of the first moves of the new right-wing government in Poland was to pass legislation on December 31 that allows it to hire and fire the management of the state-owned media. The ruling Law and Justice party’s claims that the media are biased against the interests of ordinary Poles presage further pressure on journalistic independence in what had been one of Europe’s most successful new democracies. The party’s actions were reminiscent of those of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, whose wellestablished influence over state media was evident in their slanted coverage of the refugee crisis during 2015.

Dogged resilience Despite the relentless efforts of authoritarian regimes, organized crime groups, and militant factions to restrict the free flow of information, many tenacious journalists have refused to bow to corrupt or violent forces. During a fifth year of barbarous violence in Syria, journalists with the anonymous media collective Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently continued to clandestinely document rights violations by IS, even after it released propaganda videos depicting the executions of captive reporters. Activists with another such collective, Eye on the Homeland, reported from conflict zones across Syria on abuses committed by the Damascus regime, IS, and other armed groups. The courageous members of these media cooperatives offer domestic and international audiences a credible alternative to the narratives promoted by the warring parties. A culture of investigative reporting persists in parts of Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia, where some journalists still delve into dangerous or politically sensitive issues like corruption and organized crime despite the risk to their lives and livelihoods. Government-issued bans and widespread property destruction decimated independent media in Burundi following the failed coup attempt against President Pierre Nkurunziza, yet journalists pressed on, moving radio outlets to online platforms and disseminating news via text-message services. In China, where—according to CPJ—more journalists are imprisoned than in any other country, some reporters disregarded government directives meant to control coverage of a deadly industrial accident in

4

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Gains anD DeClines in PRess FReeDoM 20

Countries with net declines of 3 or more points continue to outnumber those with gains of 3 or more points. IMPROVED DECLINED

15

10

5 2010

2011

2012

Tianjin last summer. More recently, in March 2016, the respected Caixin media group dared to publicize the censorship of an article that touched on dissent in the Communist Party. The Communist Party of Vietnam maintains one of the most restrictive media environments in the world, but it has been unable to quash a vibrant array of underground print and online publications, some of which continue to operate even as contributors languish in jail.

other Major Developments in 2015 In addition to those described above, three major phenomena stood out during the year. • violence, impunity continue unabated in Mexico: Journalists covering organized crime and corruption in Mexico have faced extreme levels of violence for more than 10 years, and the government has proven completely unable, or unwilling, to address the problem. At least four journalists were killed in 2015, and three more were killed—most likely in connection to their work—in the first two months of 2016 alone. Many have died in states where organized crime is rampant, such as Veracruz and Oaxaca; in Veracruz, at least 12 journalists have been murdered since Governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa took office in 2010, according to CPJ. However, there are signs that the violence is spreading: In July 2015, photographer Rubén Espinosa, who had fled Veracruz the previous month, was found tortured and murdered in Mexico City, previously considered a safe haven. In another disturbing phenomenon, female journalists who are attacked www.freedomhouse.org

2013

2014

2015

DeCline in GloBal aveRaGe sCoRe

45.0

45.48 45.5

46.0

46.5

47.0

47.5

48.0

48.5

48.90

49.0

49.5 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

5


Countries to Watch

The following countries are among those that may be moving toward important changes in their press freedom conditions—for better or worse—in the coming year. Argentina: The election of Mauricio Macri as president in late 2015 ended the government’s hostility toward the conservative press, but it remains unclear whether he will allow impartial regulation or simply shift the government’s bias from left to right.

India: Journalists have faced a wave of threats and physical attacks in recent months, particularly from right-wing groups, adding to doubts about press freedom under the current Hindu nationalist government.

China: President Xi Jinping has ordered all media outlets to toe the party line as the effects of China’s economic slowdown continue to bite. However, there have been signs of resistance among journalists and netizens, setting the stage for confrontation.

Iran: Moderates gained ground in recent parliamentary elections, but the situation for journalists remains uncertain in the face of harsh censorship and increased arrests by security services.

Egypt: As the country’s problems and the government’s abuses mounted, some loyalist media figures broke ranks and grew more critical of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in early 2016. The trend could lead to a partial revival in pluralism or more vicious crackdowns. Ghana: In advance of late 2016 general elections, President John Dramani Mahama’s government has stepped up legal and political pressure on the press, and attacks on journalists have increased, raising serious concerns for one of the most open media environments in sub-Saharan Africa. frequently suffer sexual violence as well, and authorities are often reluctant to accept that attacks or threats against female journalists are actually related to their work. • The press held hostage: Dozens of reporters were abducted and held hostage in 2015, with cases emerging in conflict zones as well as countries that were nominally at peace. Terrorist and militant groups including IS, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and the various branches of Al-Qaeda were responsible for many abductions, contributing to a lucrative kidnapping industry that stretched across the Middle East and beyond. Several governments also held reporters captive for political reasons. The Iranian authorities appeared to regard detained foreign journalists as a valuable diplomatic bargaining chip, while Chinese officials used forced confessions by journalists to send a warning to their colleagues. In Egypt, Turkmenistan, and other police states where the authorities’ disregard for the rule of law has long 6

Poland: Legislation passed at the end of 2015 gave the government greater control over public media, presaging a year of heightened tension between the ruling Law and Justice party and the press. Ukraine: The implementation of promising new media laws presents an opportunity to advance press freedom, even as the conflict in the east continues to pose serious dangers for reporters. Zimbabwe: Factional conflict within the ruling party over who will succeed President Robert Mugabe has increasingly affected journalists, leading to arrests, intimidation, and even a disappearance in the past year. extended to their treatment of the media, a number of reporters were held incommunicado and exposed to possible abuse in custody during the year. • A cloud over Hong Kong: The disappearance in late 2015 of five Hong Kong residents associated with a local publisher of books that are critical of China’s leaders has raised fears that Beijing is reneging on the “one country, two systems” arrangement, which has preserved Hong Kong’s vibrant media environment since the 1997 handover. The men eventually reappeared in Chinese custody, and in early 2016 they gave televised interviews that were widely seen as coerced. The December acquisition of Hong Kong’s leading English-language newspaper, the South China Morning Post, by Alibaba, a mainland Chinese company with strong ties to the central government, deepened concerns about Beijing’s growing influence over Hong Kong media.

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Dangerous Topics

A number of topics pose particular risks for journalists, who can face threats, imprisonment, and even brutal violence for attempting to cover them. The dangers of reporting on national security and terrorism are well documented, but the following topics also stand out. • Organized crime: From Central America to South Asia, journalists take their lives in their hands when they investigate organized crime, especially in areas with weak rule of law. In a shocking case in Mexico, the body of José Moisés Sánchez Cerezo, a journalist known for denouncing organized crime and the failure of local authorities to address it, was found dismembered and decapitated in Veracruz State in January 2015. • Corruption: Reporting on corruption in business or government places journalists at risk for harassment and violence in virtually every region of the world. Brazilian radio host Gleydson Carvalho, known for his commentary about corrupt local officials, was shot dead while on air in August 2015. Journalists covering high-level corruption in some countries, including Angola and Azerbaijan, faced harsh legal repercussions, including imprisonment on spurious charges. • Environment and land development: Investigating stories related to the environment, particularly when land acquisitions or extractive industries are involved, poses great danger to reporters. In India, two journalists who covered illegal mining and land grabs were killed in June 2015: Sandeep Kothari, whose body was found burned and heavily bruised after he was abducted by unknown assailants, and Jagendra Singh, who died from burns allegedly inflicted by local police. In many other countries, including Cambodia and the Philippines, environmental journalists are routinely subjected to harassment and threats in the field. • Religion: Coverage of sensitive religious topics can lead to retaliation by authorities or extremist groups. In January 2015, Saudi authorities


began carrying out a sentence of 1,000 lashes against Raif Badawi, a blogger and activist charged with insulting Islam—an offense that is criminalized in many countries. In Bangladesh, several bloggers who wrote on religious issues and criticized fundamentalists were hacked to death in a series of attacks by militants, some of whom had ties to local terrorist groups. • Disputed sovereignty: When questions of autonomy and self-determination are in play, entire parts of the world can become off-limits for journalism. After a German newspaper quoted Moroccan journalist Ali Anouzla referring to Western Sahara as “occupied” in November 2015, Moroccan officials charged the journalist with “undermining national territorial integrity,” an offense for which he can be imprisoned for up to five years. Russian authorities are similarly quick to punish critical coverage of Crimea, while in China, genuine autonomy for Tibet and the rights of ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang remain forbidden topics. • Lèse-majesté and beyond: Laws against insulting the state or top officials exist in several countries, and some leaders do not hesitate to use them against critical voices. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, for example, have lengthy records of pursuing insult charges against journalists, bloggers, and social-media users. In 2015, Turkish authorities went so far as to prosecute a doctor who, in an image shared online, compared the president to the character Gollum from the film series The Lord of the Rings. In a similarly absurd case in Thailand, a man was arrested on lèse-majesté charges for posting a humorous comment about the king’s dog online.

7

EURASIA: STATUS BY COUNTRY

LATION

ASIA-P

AMERICAS: STATUS BY COUNTRY

ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS BY POPULATION AMERICAS: STATUS BY POPULATION Press FreeDoM in 2015: The Battle for the Dominant Message

Partly Free Regional Trends Total

Free 0

Partly Free 3

0%

23%

398,867,293

40%

Free

Not Free 5

14% Not Free

Partly F

30 Fr

Partly Free 1,764,954,762

408

44%

66

2,077,522,540

51%

Total countries 35

countries 13

389,673,172

40%

EURO

Not Free

193,395,000 20%

sub-saharan africa

Not Free 10

77%

Free 5% Free 16 188,085,812

Partly Free 14

46%

Mixed responses to political40% ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS BY COUNTRY AMERICAS: STATUS BY COUNTRY and electoral tensions

TRY

Free 0

0%

Free 5 BY POPULATION MIDDLENot EAST: STATUS

Journalists in East and Southern Africa suffered from a sharp increase 14% in political pressure and violence in 2015. In the midst of Burundi’s political crisis in May, which stemmed from the president’s pursuit of a third term, nearly all independent media outlets were 390,723,799 closed or destroyed. The loss of these outlets, espe93% cially radio stations that had been the main source of information, resulted in a dearth of reporting on critical issues. Extensive intimidation and violence against journalists by the regime of President Pierre Nkurunziza and his supporters drove many into exile.

Not Free

Total countries 35

s

Not Free 10

77%

POPULATION

Elsewhere in East Africa, the run-up to early 2016 elections in Uganda featured an increase in harassFree 16 Partly 14 ment Free of journalists attempting to cover opposition 46% pressure in 29,424,084 40% In Kenya, greater government politicians. Free 0% and threats Partly Free 7% the form of repressive laws, intimidation, to withdraw state advertising resulted in a reduction MIDDLE EAST: STATUS BY COUNTRY sUB-sahaRan aFRiCa: statUs By PoPUlation SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: STATUS BY POPULATION

Partly Free 4

21%

Partly Free

Free 0

0%

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: Partly Free 12 STATUS BY POPULATION

EURO

Free 14

30%

Partly F

35%

Partly Free

26

Total countries in critical reporting40 on President Uhuru Kenyatta and 609,211,658

61.4%

his cronies. Tanzania passed two highly restrictive laws—the Statistics Act and the Cybercrimes Act—in Not Free 2015,381,495,693 and its newly elected president has given little indication 38.4%that he will revise or repeal them. Finally, Not Free 14 despite the release of 10 imprisoned journalists in 2015, Ethiopia continued to repress all independent 35% 1,972,230 jailer of reporting, and remained second-worst Freethe0.2% journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, after Eritrea. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: STATUS BY COUNTRY sUB-sahaRan aFRiCa: statUs By CoUntRy WORLD: STATUS BY POPULATION

Partly Free 27

Free 3

Not Free 6%

54%

3,361,027,703

46%

609,211,658

61.4%

Total

Total countries 19 Not Free

Partlycountries Free

Free 13%

50

2,984,320,079

41%

381,495,693

38.4%

Not 0.2%151,972,230 FreeFree

Free 0%

COUNTRY

79%

8

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: STATUS BY COUNTRY

Not Free 20

40%

988,251,358

WORLD: STATUS BY COUNTRY

P

Freedom House

In Zimbabwe, journalists and media outlets were drawn into succession-related infighting among leaders of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union–Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). Members of the media faced increased threats and attacks—including the abduction and disappearance of prominent local journalist Itai Dzamara—as well as continued arrests for libel that contradicted a constitutional court ruling on the issue. Meanwhile, an economic crisis in the country contributed to the closure of two media houses. Ghana, previously the only Free country on the continent’s mainland, suffered a status decline to Partly Free as a result of several factors. Journalists encountered more attempts to limit coverage of news events and confiscations of equipment; increased violence by the police, the military, political party members, and ordiAMERICAS: STATUS POPULATION nary citizens, including the BY first murder of a journalist in

more than 20 years; and continued electricity outages that impaired media production and distribution. However, other countries in West Africa showed encouraging improvements. Burkina Faso, which endured a coup attempt and an uncertain election in 2015, decriminalized libel and made progress on a long-stalled investigation into the murder of journalist Norbert Zongo. And Côte d’Ivoire benefited from continued openings in its private broadcasting market, as well as a reduction in attacks and harassment against the press, which came despite the potential for election-related tensions. Togo also showed some gains in an election year, especially regarding opposition candidates’ access to state media and journalists’ ability to cover the campaigns safely. However, those gains were tempered by the reintroduction of prison BY POPULATION termsASIA-PACIFIC: for publishing STATUS false news.

Not Free

Partly Free asia-Paciﬁc 398,867,293

40%

Free


408,520,144

44%

66%

2,077,522,540 states and vigilantes muzzle controversial speech 51%

Free

Journalists and commentators across much of South 389,673,172 and Southeast 40% Asia faced threats and deadly violence for raising controversial topics during 2015. Making matters worse, the region’s governments tended to ban and prosecute discussion of such issues rather Not Free than protecting those 20%who dared to address them. 193,395,000 Extremists in Bangladesh murdered at least four bloggers and a publisher who had produced content that was critical of religious fundamentalism. Many other ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS BY POPULATION asia-PaCiFiC: statUs By PoPUlation

Not Free 5

Not Free

14%


44%

EUROPE: STATUS BY COU

EUROPE: STATUS asia-PaCiFiC: statUsBY ByPOPULATION CoUntRy

Partly Free 12

Not Fr

Free 14 Partly Free35%

30% Free

408,520,144

Partly Free 11

21%

Total countries 40

Total countries 35

Tot count 42

Not Free 80,285,100

13%

Partly Free 14

40%

Free 5% Free 16

Not Free 14

188,085,812

46%

www.freedomhouse.org ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS BY COUNTRY SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA:

5%

26%

131,120,982

66%

2,077,522,540

51%

writers, after being threatened or injured in similar attacks, felt compelled to go silent, relocate, or flee the country. Meanwhile, the authorities temporarily blocked social media on security grounds, allegedly forced the suspension of a popular political talk show, and threatened dozens of people with contempt of court charges for signing aFree letter 5% in support of a British journalist who had been188,085,812 convicted on similar charges in late 2014. The government also reportedly pressured private companies to withdraw advertising ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS BY COUNTRY


EUROPE: STATUS BY POP

35%

EUROPE: STATUS BY COUNTRY

Not Free 2

9


from two critical newspapers; in early 2016 the papers’ editors faced multiple charges of sedition, defamation, and “hurting religious sentiment.”

China and a controversial tree-removal plan in Hanoi.

In India, among other killings, one journalist was burned to death by police after he accused an Uttar Pradesh government minister of corruption. Separately, Indian officials banned a documentary film on the contentious problem of violence against women in the country, and temporarily suspended broadcasts of Al-Jazeera English because the station showed a map that did not match the government’s position on Kashmir.

The government of Malaysia—on the defensive over a massive corruption scandal—made extensive use of sedition charges to tamp down dissent, in one case prosecuting a political cartoonist for a series of tweets. In all, at least 91 people were charged, arrested, or investigated under the sedition law during 2015, according to Amnesty International. In Maldives, the government repeatedly invoked national security in attempts to intimidate critical news outlets, and deported the crew of a German broadcaster that was investigating the country’s volatile political and security situation.

The Vietnamese authorities released a number of jailed bloggers and journalists in 2015, before and after the Communist Party leader’s visit to Washington in July. However, detentions of others continued during the year, as did physical assaults. Prominent bloggers were brutally beaten by thugs or plainclothes police after writing on issues including territorial disputes with

Unlike its neighbors, Sri Lanka experienced a marked improvement in press freedom conditions after a new government took power in early 2015. Journalists faced fewer threats and attacks than in previous years, investigations into past violence made progress, a number of websites were unblocked, and officials moved toward the adoption of a right to information bill.

10

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eurasia

EURASIA: STATUS BY POPULATION

AMERICAS: STATUS

systemic control and prison terms journalists Not for Free Having already destroyed most platforms for dissent, several repressive regimes in Eurasia adopted a twopronged approach toward the media in 2015: deepening systemic controls on the flow of information while making an example of the few independent journalists who continued to operate. Russia, an innovator of modern state propaganda, expanded efforts to tightly control the news for domestic audiences and manipulate the information landscapes of several geopolitically significant neighbors, including Ukraine, Moldova, and the Baltic and Central Asian states. Domestically, the Russian government EURASIA: STATUS BY POPULATION eURasia: statUs By PoPUlation

Not Free 237,605,571

reoriented the focus of its misinformation machine 82% from Ukraine to President Vladimir Putin’s newest foreign exploit, the military intervention in Syria. The promotion of government policies and messages became especially important amid growing economic hardship in Russia, and Kremlin-friendly media attempted to direct public discontent toward the United States and Europe, accusing them of exacerbating Russia’s economic troubles and the security situation 18% Freetime, in Syria.Partly At the same authorities continued to 50,741,300 exert pressure on the small space left for free expression, particularly Free 0% targeting bloggers and journalists for their0online publications. The regional Siberian

389,673,172

40%

Not Free

193,395,000 20%

AMERICAS: STATUS

Partly Free 23%

Not Free 5

Not14% Free

Free 0

Partly Free 3

389,673,172

40%

0%

2,077,522,540

51%

Total countries 13

To coun 3

Not Free

193,395,000 20%

Not Free 10

Free 0%

Partly Free 14

77%

0

EURASIA: STATUS BY COUNTRY www.freedomhouse.org

Free

ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS

Free

50,741,300

40%

AMERICAS: STATUS BY POPULATION eURasia: statUs By CoUntRy

40%

18%

398,867,293

EURASIA: STATUS BY COUNTRY

398,867,293

82%

Partly Free

Partly Fre

237,605,571


Not Free 5

MIDDLE EAST: STATUS BY POPULATION

40%

11

ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS

SUB-SAHARAN Partly Free 12


broadcaster TV-2, having previously escaped the Kremlin’s cooptation of the television sector, closed in February 2015 after the expiration of its license, which was transferred to a state broadcaster. Authorities in Azerbaijan not only tightened legislative restrictions on media in 2015, but also targeted individual journalists for legal and extralegal persecution. The staff of the online station Meydan TV faced administrative and physical harassment by officials throughout the year, as did members of their families. Spurious criminal cases against several reporters culminated in alarmingly lengthy prison terms, while other journalists were victims of violent attacks. Rasim Aliyev, an independent reporter and human rights

americas

Physical threats and political pressure Press freedom in Mexico remained under extreme pressure due to violent attacks on journalists by criminal gangs and a pattern of impunity for the perpetrators. Federal agencies tasked with protecting threatened journalists and investigating crimes against the media failed to function effectively, partly due to a lack of resources. Freedom of expression advocates also expressed concern about new regulations that authorized expansive government surveillance powers under a 2014 telecommunications law. Mexico was not the only country in the region suffering from serious violence against journalists. Threats from organized crime, corrupt officials, and abusive security forces were a problem in much of Central America, and at least six journalists were murdered in Brazil, where those working in rural sections of the country are particularly vulnerable. Brazil is regarded today as one of the most dangerous democracies for journalists to work in. In other Latin American countries, the main source of pressure on media independence was the govern12

activist, died in August after being brutally beaten by unidentified assailants. The authorities released several journalists and bloggers along with other political prisoners in March 2016, but prominent journalist Khadija Ismayilova remains behind bars, and the government’s hostile policies toward critical media show no signs of genuine change. The government of Tajikistan took steps to make the state press agency the primary conduit for official information. And in a case that stretched the limits of absurdity, Tajik authorities sentenced Amindzhon Gulmurodzoda to two years in prison for forgery, claiming that the journalist had falsified his birth records in 1989—when he was five or six years old.

Freedom House

ment. Enforcement of Ecuador’s 2013 Communication Law, which enabled more intrusive media regulation, continued to threaten freedom of expression and added to a hostile environment characterized by self-censorship, intimidation, and legal sanctions. EURASIA: STATUS BY POPULATION The media regulator issued scores of fines and other administrative sanctions against various outlets, sometimes interfering directly in the details of their reporting on public officials. 237,605,571 82% Journalists in Nicaragua were subjected to rough treatment by police and others while covering demonstrations, and encountered obstruction when attempting to gain information on a new interoceanic canal project. The television sector remains dominated by a duopoly that tends to favor the government, and critics have argued that regulatory decisions are politically motivated or arbitrary, as with the abrupt 18% 2015Partly closureFree of radio station Voz de Mujer.

Not Free

change after right-leaning candidate Mauricio Macri replaced incumbent president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in December. However, Macri immediately moved to undercut Kirchner’s 2009 Media Law, issuing a decree that transferred oversight powers of the AMERICAS: STATUS BY POPULATION two regulatory agencies created under that law to his newly formed National Agency of Telecommunications. This step prompted some observers to question the new administration’s commitment to ensuring 398,867,293 impartial regulatory enforcement. 40%

Partly Free

In Argentina, Free 0%long-standing antagonism between the 0 government and the conservative press looked set to

In the United States, the media played a complicated role inFree an unusually crass, divisive, and intense campaign 389,673,172 for the 2016 presidential election. The leading 40% candidate, Donald Trump, made criticism Republican of individual journalists and outlets a major focus of his appeal, and used outrageous social-media commentsNot to att ract and divert traditional media coverage. Free 20%taunted the media industry with 193,395,000 At times he has even economic incentives, citing the effects of his appearances—or refusals to appear—on broadcasters’ viewership and revenue.

EURASIA: STATUS BY COUNTRY aMeRiCas: statUs By PoPUlation AMERICAS: STATUS BY POPULATION

AMERICAS: STATUS BY COUNTRY aMeRiCas: statUs STATUS By CoUntRy ASIA-PACIFIC: BY POPULATION

50,741,300

Partly Free

Free 0

Partly Free 3

0%

23%

398,867,293

40%

Not Free 5

14% Not Free

Total countries 13

Free

P

1,

4

2,077,522,540

51%

F

Free 30%

Partly Free 12


408,520,144

44%

66%

Total countries 35

389,673,172

40%

Not Free

ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS B EUROPE: STATUS BY POP

2,077,522,540

51%

ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS B

Tota countr 40

Not Free

193,395,000 20%

Not Free 10

77%


Not Free 5

MIDDLE EAST: STATUS BY POPULATION

14%

Not Free 390,723,799

93%

Total countries 35


Free 5% Free 16 188,085,812

Partly Free 14

46%

40%

ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS BY COUNTRY

EUROPE: STATUS BY COU

Not Fre AFRICA: PartlySUB-SAHARAN Free 12

STATUS BY POPULATION

30%

Partly FreeTotal

5%

Free 14

STATU Partly Free WORLD: 11

35%

26%

3,361,027,703

46%

Tot count 42 Partly Free

609,211,658

61.4%

countries 40

Not Free 381,495,693

Not F

13

2,984,320,079

41%

Freedom of the press 2016

Free Partly Free Not Free

freedomhouse.org

EURASIA: STATUS BY POPULATION


Not Free 237,605,571

EURASIA: STATUS BY COUNTRY AMERICAS: STATUS BY POPULATION

Partly Free 23%

Free 0

Partly Free 3

0%

398,867,293

82%

40%

Total countries 13

Free

389,673,172

40%

Partly Free

Not Free

18%

193,395,000 20%

50,741,300

Not Free 10

0% and north africa Middle Freeeast

77%

0

security concerns fuel censorship, self-censorship EURASIA: STATUS BY COUNTRY AMERICAS: STATUS BY COUNTRY Even in Middle Eastern countries without armed conflicts, concerns about terrorist attacks or military Freeon0critical Partly Free 3 motivated crackdowns operations abroad 0% 23% reporting and commentary as well as self-censorship on the part of journalists and social-media users. In Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, for example, the authorities restricted critical or independent coverage of the war in Yemen, in part by controlling access to the border area. Observers also noted a tendency among media outlets and online commentators to avoid criticism of the Saudi-led military campaign.

Total countries 13

In Tunisia, which suffered multiple terrorist attacks during 2015, a journalist faced terrorism charges for Not Free 10 refusing to disclose the source of a photograph relat77% ed to one attack, and a blogger was jailed for defaming the military. Journalists faced greater police aggres-

MiDDle east anD noRth aFRiCa: MIDDLE EAST: STATUS BY POPULATION statUs By PoPUlation

Not Free

sion while attempting to report on the aftermath of Not Free terroristMIDDLE violence, and5STATUS some outlets displayed a closer EAST: BY POPULATION 14% alignment with the government on security issues.

Not Free

The Iranian government attempted to shape domestic media coverage of the international agreement on 390,723,799 its nuclear93% program. The Supreme National Security Council instructed media outlets to praise Iran’s team of negotiators and to avoid any talk of “a rift” between top officials. The directive targeted hard-liners who have been highly critical of the negotiations—a shift from the pressure typically exerted on journalists who support President Hassan Rouhani’s reformist policies. However, hard-line elements continued to show their strength in other ways. The intelligence Free division 16of the Partly Free 14 Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps arrested several 46% 29,424,084 40% journalists late in the year for alleged involvement in an Free 0% Partly Free 7% “infiltration network” serving hostile foreign countries.

Total countries 35

MiDDle east anD noRth aFRiCa: EAST: STATUS BY COUNTRY SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: statUsMIDDLE By CoUntRy STATUS BY POPULATION

Free 0

Partly Free 4

Partly Free

0%

21%

390,723,799

93%

609,211,658

61.4%

Total countries Not Free19 381,495,693

38.4% 29,424,084

Partly Free 7%

16

Free 0%

MIDDLE EAST: STATUS BY COUNTRY

Partly Free 4

Free 0

Free 15 1,972,230 0.2% FreeNot

79%

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: STATUS BY COUNTRY

Free 3

Partly Free 27

Freedom House

ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS BY POPULATION

Not europe Free


44%

EUROPE: STATUS BY POPULATION

Free

Partly Free

408,520,144

131,120,982

66%

2,077,522,540

21%

51% interference, violence amid refugee crisis Police

Violence and the refugee crisis dominated the news in Europe in 2015, but they also affected how news could be covered. While not as dramatic as the Charlie Hebdo murders, attacks against journalists by various perpetrators in the Western Balkans contributed to an overall decline in media freedom there. In Serbia, multiple Free 5% journalists suffered physical assaults, contributing to 188,085,812 heightened self-censorship across the media sector. Attacks and death threats in Macedonia and Bosnia

and Herzegovina also raised concerns, with numerous violations committed against reporters who were investigating government corruption. Serious questions Not Free remain about whether these countries’ governments 80,285,100 are genuine in their stated commitments to European 13% norms for media freedom and independence.

ASIA-PACIFIC: STATUS BY COUNTRY eURoPe: statUs By PoPUlation EUROPE: STATUS BY POPULATION

EUROPE: STATUS BY COUNTRY eURoPe: statUs By CoUntRy

Free 30%

Partly Free 14 Free 35% 131,120,982

Partly Free 12 408,520,144

66%

21%

Total countries 40 Not Free 80,285,100

In Turkey, the government took advantage of real and perceived security threats to intensify its crackdown

Not Free 2 Partly Free 11

5%

26%

Total countries 42

13%

Not Free 14

35%

www.freedomhouse.org EUROPE: STATUS BY COUNTRY

Not Free 2

Free 29

69%

17


on the media. Authorities continued to use terrorismrelated laws to arrest critical journalists, censor online outlets, and deport foreign correspondents—usually in connection with the Kurdish insurgency, the conflict in Syria, or the Gülen movement. The massive influx of migrants to Europe indirectly resulted in a variety of limitations on journalistic freedom. The most prominent case was in Hungary, where police attacked at least seven foreign journalists who were attempting to report on violent clashes between riot officers and migrants arriving at the country’s southern border. However, the authorities took other steps to limit journalists’ access to sites related to migrants and refugees, and the public media supported the government’s hostile stance toward them. In Austria, journalists reporting on the challenges posed by the migrants’ presence faced obstacles in several separate instances, revealing the government’s

unease at allowing unhampered coverage of the situation. A series of attacks in Germany were attributed to far-right groups, which have been gaining strength in opposition to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s relatively welcoming policies toward refugees. The nearly 30 attacks against journalists in Germany in 2015 ranged from death threats to physical violence at right-wing demonstrations. Over the past 10 years, Europe as a whole has suffered the largest drop in press freedom of any region in the Freedom of the Press report. This has been driven in part by weakened European economies and shrinking advertising revenues, which have led to layoffs, closure of outlets, and further concentration of media ownership. Other contributing factors include new laws restricting media activity, and increases in violence against and intimidation of journalists in retaliation for their reporting.

Notable gains and declines in 2015 The following reflect developments of major significance or concern in 2015.

Gains:

• Burkina Faso improved due to the removal of prison sentences as punishment for libel, renewed attempts to end impunity for past crimes against journalists, and a decrease in state interference in news content. • Sri Lanka improved due to a change in government that led to fewer physical threats against journalists, the easing of political pressure on private media, and the unblocking of previously censored websites.

Declines:

• Azerbaijan declined due to the brutal and so far unsolved murder of a prominent journalist, as well as increased restrictions on foreign journalists surrounding the European Games in June.

18

• Bangladesh declined due to the murders of four bloggers and a publisher by Islamist militants, threats and nonfatal attacks against other writers, continued legal harassment of media outlets and press freedom advocates, government-sanctioned economic pressure on certain outlets, and attempts to censor social media. • Burundi declined due to the closure and destruction of independent media outlets and extensive harassment and violence against journalists, which drove many into exile. • Ecuador declined due to a marked increase in official censorship and further concentration of media ownership. • Egypt declined due to more uniform progovernment bias in the media, increased physical abuse of journalists, and recurrent destruction of newspaper pressruns when officials objected to content.

Freedom House

Biggest Gains and Declines, 2011–2015 Free

PARTLY FREE

NOT FREE

-25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25

Free 19

CÔte d’Ivoire

Partly Free

15

Malawi Afghanistan

12

Myanmar

12

Fiji

Not Free

10 9

Togo 8

Sri Lanka

-8

Burundi

-8

Ecuador

-8

Macedonia

-9

Azerbaijan

-9

Bangladesh

-9

Central African Republic Serbia

-10 -13

Mali

-13

Nauru

-15

Libya

-16

Turkey

-17

Thailand

-18

Greece Egypt

-20

-25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25

Historical Trends in Press Freedom Percentages of countries in the three press freedom categories Free

PARTLY FREE

NOT FREE

55%

20%

25%

1985


32% 34% 34%

1995

34%

38% 28%

2005

33%

36%

31%

2015

19


• France declined due to the January 2015 terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo, legislation that empowers authorities to conduct mass surveillance with little oversight, and the growing threat of self-censorship linked to security concerns.

• Serbia declined due to the Vučić government’s hostile rhetoric toward investigative journalists, reported censorship of journalists and media outlets, and a decrease in the availability of critical, independent reporting.

• Ghana declined due to stepped-up attempts to limit coverage of news events and confiscation of equipment; increases in violence directed at journalists by the police, the military, political party members, and ordinary citizens, including the first murder of a journalist in more than 20 years; and continued electricity outages that impaired media production and distribution.

• Tunisia declined due to an increase in prosecutions of journalists and bloggers, repeated assaults by security forces on media personnel in the aftermath of terrorist attacks, and increased government pressure on the national broadcaster and the independent media regulatory body.

• Israel declined due to the growing impact of Yisrael Hayom, whose owner-subsidized business model endangered the stability of other media outlets, and the unchecked expansion of paid content—some of it government funded—whose nature was not clearly identified to the public. • Macedonia declined due to revelations indicating large-scale and illegal government wiretapping of journalists, corrupt ties between officials and media owners, and an increase in threats and attacks on media workers. • Mexico declined due to poor implementation of a law designed to protect journalists and continued impunity for the perpetrators of crimes against the press. • Nicaragua declined due to pervasive and increasingly systematic harassment of journalists as well as the effects of a television duopoly on diversity of content. • Saudi Arabia declined due to a growing trend toward self-censorship regarding the conflict in Yemen and restricted media access to the southern provinces where military operations were under way.

20

• Turkey declined due to the imprisonment of media personnel on fabricated charges related to national security, throttling of internet service after major news events, severe restrictions on foreign journalists including imprisonment and deportation, recurrent violence against media personnel and production facilities, and abrupt changes in media regulations. • Uganda declined due to increased government pressure on media outlets regarding coverage of political events, along with a growth in bribery in exchange for favorable election-related reporting. • Yemen declined due to the country’s descent into civil war, which led to disregard for press freedom protections, an increasingly polarized and fragmented media environment, and a general climate of fear amid killings and imprisonment of journalists. • Zimbabwe declined due to increased threats and attacks on media personnel, including the disappearance of a prominent local journalist; continued arrests of journalists for libel in defiance of a constitutional court ruling; and an economic crisis that led two media houses to shut down.

Freedom House

Press Freedom vs. Internet Penetration vs. GDP Per Capita 100

United Kingdom

Gross Domestic Product per capita

United States

Free Japan

Partly Free

Canada

Not Free South Korea

Largest

80

Smallest Spain

France

Germany

Russia Malaysia Argentina

Saudi Arabia

Poland

Internet Penetration Rate, 2014 (ITU data)

Italy

60

Brazil

Morocco

Venezuela

Colombia

Turkey

South Africa

China Mexico

Vietnam

Uzbekistan

Ukraine Kenya

40 Iran

Nigeria Philippines Peru

Thailand Egypt

Sudan Angola Yemen

20

Algeria

Uganda

Pakistan Iraq

Dem. Rep. of Congo Ethiopia

0 100

80

Myanmar

Indonesia

India

Ghana

Nepal Bangladesh

Afghanistan

60

Tanzania

Mozambique

40

20

Freedom of the Press 2016 Score (100=Least Free, 0=Most Free)


21

0


Regional Rankings Of the 199 countries and territories assessed for 2015, a total of 62 (31 percent) were rated Free, 71 (36 percent) were rated Partly Free, and 66 (33 percent) were rated Not Free. This balance marks a slight shift toward the Not Free category compared with the edition covering 2014, which featured 63 Free, 71 Partly Free, and 65 Not Free countries and territories. There were six status changes in Freedom of the Press 2016: Chile improved from Partly Free to Free, and Togo improved from Not Free to Partly Free. Ghana and Israel declined from Free to Partly Free, and Bangladesh and Macedonia declined from Partly Free to Not Free. Americas

l – Free l – Partly Free l – Not Free

Country

Rank

Status

Score

Global Rank

Freedom of the Press 2016

Freedom in the World 2016

St. Lucia

1

15

11

l

l

Costa Rica

2

17

17

l

l

17

17

l

l

4

18

21

l

l

18

21

l

l

St. Vincent and Grenadines Barbados Canada

18

21

l

l

St. Kitts and Nevis

Jamaica 7

20

25

l

l

United States of America

8

21

28

l

l

Bahamas

9

Belize

22

31

l

l

22

31

l

l

Grenada

11

24

38

l

l

Uruguay

12

25

41

l

l

Dominica

13

26

44

l

l

Trinidad and Tobago

14

27

47

l

l

Suriname

15

28

51

l

l

Chile

16

29

57

l

Antigua and Barbuda

17

35

68

l

l

Guyana

18

36

70

l

l

El Salvador

19

39

76

l

l

Dominican Republic

20

42

84

l

l

Brazil

21

46

90

l

l

D

l

l

l

Panama

46

90

l

l

Peru

46

90

l

l

Bolivia

24

49

96

l

l

Argentina

25

50

104

l

l

Haiti

26

52

110

l

l

Nicaragua

27

54

115

l

l

Colombia

28

56

119

l

l

Guatemala

29

58

123

l

l

58

123

l

l

Paraguay

Freedom on the Net 2015

l

l

l

Mexico

31

64

140

l

l

l

Ecuador

32

66

145

l

l

l

Honduras

33

67

149

l

l

Venezuela

34

80

173

l

l

l

Cuba

35

91

192

l

l

l

*Denotes territories

22

DF – indicate improvements or declines in press freedom status

NOTE: The ratings reflect global developments from January 1, 2015, through December 31, 2015.

Freedom House

In 2015, 13 percent of the world’s inhabitants lived in countries with a Free press, while 41 percent had a Partly Free press and 46 percent lived in Not Free environments. The population figures are significantly affected by two countries—China, with a Not Free status, and India, with a Partly Free status—that together account for over a third of the world’s more than seven billion people. The percentage of those enjoying a Free media in 2015 remained at its lowest level since 1996, when Freedom House began incorporating population data into the findings of the report. Asia-Pacific


Status

Rank

Score

Global Rank

Palau

1

15

11

l

l

Marshall Islands

2

17

17

l

l

New Zealand

3

20

25

l

l

Micronesia

4

21

28

l

l

Australia

5

23

33

l

l

Vanuatu

6

25

41

l

l

Japan

7

Country

Taiwan Solomon Islands

9

Tuvalu Papua New Guinea

11

Samoa Tonga



26

44

l

l

26

44

l

l

27

47

l

l

27

47

l

l

29

57

l

l

29

57

l

l

29

57

l

l

Kiribati

14

30

62

l

l

South Korea

15

33

66

l

l

East Timor

16

35

68

l

l

Mongolia

17

37

72

l

l

Hong Kong*

18

39

76

l

l

India

19

Nauru

41

80

l

l

41

80

l

l

Philippines

21

44

86

l

l

Fiji

22

48

94

l

l

Indonesia

23

49

96

l

l

Nepal

24

54

115

l

l

Bhutan

25

58

123

l

l

58

123

l

l

Maldives Bangladesh

27

61

134

l

Afghanistan

28

62

136

l

Pakistan

29

64

140

l

64

140

31

67

149

67

149

Sri Lanka Malaysia Singapore

F

l


l l

l

l l l

l

l l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

l

Cambodia

33

69

154

l

l

l

Myanmar

34

73

161

l

l

l

Brunei

35

76

166

l

l

Thailand

36

77

167

l

l

Laos

37

84

181

l

l

Vietnam

38

85

183

l

l

l

China

39

87

186

l

l

l

North Korea

40

97

199

l

l


l

23


Eurasia


Country

Rank

Score

Status Global Rank




Georgia

1

49

96

l

l

l

Ukraine

2

53

112

l

l

l

Moldova

3

56

119

l

l

Armenia

4

63

139

l

l

l

Kyrgyzstan

5

67

149

l

l

l

Russia

6

83

176

l

l

l

83

176

l

l

8

84

181

l

l

l

Azerbaijan

9

89

189

l

l

l

Belarus

10

91

192

l

l

l

Crimea*

11

94

195

l

l

Uzbekistan

12

95

197

l

l

Turkmenistan

13

96

198

l

l

Tajikistan Kazakhstan

Middle East and North Africa l – Free l – Partly Free l – Not Free

Country

Rank

l

Status Score

Global Rank


Freedom in the World 2016 l

F


Israel

1

32

65

l

Tunisia

2

52

110

l

l

l

Lebanon

3

56

119

l

l

l

Kuwait

4

59

130

l

l

Algeria

5

62

136

l

l

Jordan

6

66

145

l

l

l

66

145

l

l

l

l

Morocco Qatar

8

69

154

l

Iraq

9

71

156

l

l

71

156

l

l

Oman Libya

11

75

164

l

l

l

Egypt

12

77

167

l

l

l

United Arab Emirates

13

78

169

l

l

l

West Bank and Gaza Strip*

14

83

176

l

l

83

176

l

l

Saudi Arabia

Yemen 16

86

185

l

l

l

Bahrain

17

87

186

l

l

l

Iran

18

90

190

l

l

l

90

190

l

l

l

Syria


24



Freedom House

Europe


Country

Rank

Score

Status Global Rank



Norway

1

9

1

l

l

Belgium

2

11

2

l

l

Finland

11

2

l

l

Netherlands

11

2

l

l

11

2

l

l

Denmark

Sweden 6

12

6

l

l

Andorra

7

13

7

l

l

13

7

l

l

Luxembourg Switzerland Liechtenstein

10

Iceland

11

Monaco Estonia

13

San Marino

13

7

l

l

14

10

l

l

15

11

l

l

15

11

l

l

16

15

l

l

16

15

l

l

Ireland

15

17

17

l

l

Portugal

16

18

21

l

l

Germany

17

20

25

l

l

Czech Republic

18

21

28

l

l

Austria

19

23

33

l

l

Lithuania

23

33

l

l

Malta

23

33

l

l l

Slovenia Cyprus

23

Slovakia United Kingdom

25

France

26

Latvia

l

l

23

33

l

38

l

l

24

38

l

l

25

41

l

l

l l

28

51

l

l

28

51

l

l

Poland

28

51

l

l

28

51

l

l

Italy

30

31

63

l

l

Romania

31

38

74

l

l

Bulgaria

32

40

78

l

l

40

78

l

l

Montenegro

34

41

80

l

l

Croatia

35

42

84

l

l

Serbia

36

45

87

l

l

Greece

37

48

94

l

l

Kosovo

38

49

96

l

l

Bosnia and Herzegovina

39

50

104

l

l

Albania

40

51

106

l

l

Macedonia

41

62

136

l

Turkey

42

71

156

l


l

24

Spain

Hungary


F

l

l

l l

l

25


Sub-Saharan Africa

Country


Rank

Score

Cape Verde

1

27

São Tomé and Príncipe

2

28

Mauritius

3

29

Ghana

4

31

Namibia

5

33

South Africa

6

36

Mali

7

37

Benin

8

38

Burkina Faso

9

41

Botswana

10

Malawi

45 45

Mozambique

12

Comoros

13

Lesotho

46 49 49

Senegal

49

Seychelles

49

CÔte d'Ivoire

17

Mauritania Nigeria Niger

51 51 51

20

53

Somaliland*

22

54

Tanzania

23

55

Uganda

24

57

Kenya

25

58

Sierra Leone

53

Liberia

58

Madagascar

58

Congo (Brazzaville)

28

Guinea-Bissau

29

Togo

59 60 60

Zambia

31

61

Cameroon

32

65

South Sudan

34

66

Gabon

35

68

Angola

36

Guinea

65

Central African Republic Chad

71 71

38

Zimbabwe

74 74

Djibouti

40

75

Congo (Kinshasa)

41

78

Rwanda

42

Somalia

79 79

Burundi

44

80

Swaziland

45

82

Ethiopia

46

83

Sudan

47

85

The Gambia

48

87

Equatorial Guinea

49

91

Eritrea

50

94


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Global Rank 47 51 57 63 66 70 72 74 80 87 87 90 96 96 96 96 106 106 106 112 112 115 118 122 123 123 123 130 132 132 134 143 143 145 153 156 156 162 162 164 169 171 171 173 175 176 183 186 192 195

Status Freedom of the Press 2016 l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

F

D

Freedom in the World 2016 l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l


l

l

l

l l

l

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Freedom House

Methodology The 2016 edition of Freedom of the Press, which provides analytical reports and numerical scores for 199 countries and territories, continues a process conducted by Freedom House since 1980. Each country and territory is given a total press freedom score from 0 (best) to 100 (worst) on the basis of 23 methodology questions divided into three subcategories. The total score determines the status designation of Free, Partly Free, or Not Free. The scores and reports included in Freedom of the Press 2016 cover events that took place between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015.

Expression Exchange (IFEX) network for providing detailed and timely analyses of press freedom violations in a variety of countries worldwide.

Criteria

Methodology

Freedom House assesses media freedom using common criteria for all settings, in poor and rich countries as well as in countries of varying ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

Through the years, we have refined and expanded our methodology. Recent modifications have aimed to capture changes in the news and information environment without altering the comparability of data since the project’s inception. For example, the methodology was modified to incorporate the role of digital media.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers. All states, from the most democratic to the most authoritarian, are committed to this doctrine through the UN system; to deny it is to deny the universality of basic human rights. While cultural distinctions or economic underdevelopment may affect the character or volume of news flows within a country or territory, these and other differences are not acceptable explanations for infringements such as centralized control of the content of news and information.

Research and Scoring Process Freedom of the Press findings are determined through a multilayered process of analysis and evaluation by a team of regional experts and scholars. With its successive stages of coding and review, the process emphasizes intellectual rigor and aims for consistent and unbiased judgments. The research and scoring process involves nearly 90 analysts—primarily external consultants—who draft the scores and country/territory reports. Analysts gather information from field research, professional contacts, reports from local and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), reports of governments and multilateral bodies, and domestic and international news media. We would particularly like to thank the other members of the International Freedom of


The scores are reviewed individually and on a comparative basis in a series of seven regional meetings involving analysts, a team of senior academic advisers, and Freedom House staff. These reviews are followed by cross-regional assessments in which an effort is made to ensure comparability and consistency in the findings across the world.

The level of press freedom in each country and territory is evaluated through 23 methodology questions divided into three broad categories: the legal environment, the political environment, and the economic environment. For each methodology question, a lower number of points is allotted for a more free situation, while a higher number of points is allotted for a less free environment. A country or territory’s final score (from 0 to 100) represents the total of the points allotted for each question. A total score of 0 to 30 results in a press freedom status of Free; 31 to 60 results in a status of Partly Free; and 61 to 100 indicates a status of Not Free. The diverse nature of the methodology questions seeks to address the varied ways in which pressure can be placed on the flow of information and the ability of print, broadcast, and digital media to operate freely and without threat of repercussions. In short, we seek to provide a picture of the entire “enabling environment” in which the media operate. We also assess the diversity of the news and information available to the public in any given country or territory, from either local or transnational sources. In general, Freedom of the Press is focused on the ability to provide and access news and information. It generally pertains to journalists and formal news outlets, whether print, broadcast, or online, but also includes less formal sources—such as blogs, social media, and text-messaging services—when they serve as de facto news providers. The legal environment category encompasses an examina-

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tion of both the laws and regulations that could influence media content, and the extent to which they are used in practice to enable or restrict the media’s ability to operate. We assess the positive impact of legal and constitutional guarantees for freedom of expression; the potentially negative aspects of security legislation, the penal code, and other statutes; penalties for libel and defamation; the existence of and ability to use freedom of information legislation; the independence of the judiciary and official regulatory bodies; registration requirements for both media outlets and journalists; and the ability of journalists’ organizations to operate freely. Under the political environment category, we evaluate the degree of political influence in the content of news media. Issues examined include the editorial independence of both state-owned and privately owned outlets; access to information and sources; official censorship and self-censorship; the vibrancy of the media and the diversity of news available within each country or territory; the ability of both foreign and local reporters to cover the news in person without obstacles or harassment; and reprisals against journalists or bloggers by the state or other actors, including arbitrary detention, violent assaults, and other forms of intimidation. Our third category examines the economic environment for the media. This includes the structure of media ownership; transparency and concentration of ownership; the costs of establishing media as well as any impediments to news production and distribution; the selective withholding of advertising or subsidies by the state or other actors; the impact of corruption and bribery on content; and the extent to which the economic situation in a country or territory affects the development and sustainability of the media.

Methodology Questions 2015 LEGAL ENVIRONMENT (0–30 POINTS) 1. Do the constitution or other basic laws contain provisions designed to protect freedom of the press and of expression, and are they enforced? (0–6 points) 2. Do the penal code, security laws, or any other laws restrict reporting and are journalists or bloggers punished under these laws? (0–6 points) 3. Are there penalties for libeling officials or the state and are they enforced? (0–3 points) 4. Is the judiciary independent and do courts judge cases concerning the media impartially? (0–3 points) 5. Is Freedom of Information legislation in place, and are journalists able to make use of it? (0–2 points)

6. Can individuals or business entities legally establish and operate private media outlets without undue interference? (0–4 points) 7. A re media regulatory bodies, such as a broadcasting authority or national press or communications council, able to operate freely and independently? (0–2 points) 8. I s there freedom to become a journalist and to practice journalism, and can professional groups freely support journalists’ rights and interests? (0–4 points) POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT (0–40 POINTS) 1. T o what extent are media outlets’ news and information content determined by the government or a particular partisan interest? (0–10 points) 2. I s access to official or unofficial sources generally controlled? (0–2 points) 3. Is there official or unofficial censorship? (0–4 points) 4. Do journalists practice self-censorship? (0–4 points) 5. D o people have access to media coverage and a range of news and information that is robust and reflects a diversity of viewpoints? (0–4 points) 6. A re both local and foreign journalists able to cover the news freely and safely in terms of physical access and onthe-ground reporting? (0–6 points) 7. A re journalists, bloggers, or media outlets subject to extralegal intimidation or physical violence by state authorities or any other actor as a result of their reporting? (0–10 points) ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT (0–30 POINTS) 1. T o what extent are media owned or controlled by the government and does this influence their diversity of views? (0–6 points) 2. I s media ownership transparent, thus allowing consumers to judge the impartiality of the news? (0–3 points) 3. I s media ownership highly concentrated and does this influence diversity of content? (0–3 points) 4. A re there restrictions on the means of news production and distribution? (0–4 points) 5. A re there high costs associated with the establishment and operation of media outlets? (0–4 points) 6. D o the state or other actors try to control the media through allocation of advertising or subsidies? (0–3 points) 7. D o journalists, bloggers, or media outlets receive payment from private or public sources whose design is to influence their journalistic content? (0–3 points) 8. D oes the overall economic situation negatively impact media outlets’ financial sustainability? (0–4 points)

Note: Under each question, a lower number of points is allotted for a more free situation, while a higher number of points is allotted for a less free environment. A complete list of the subquestions used to make the assessments can be found online at https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press-2016/methodology.

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Freedom House

Notes


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Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights.

1850 M Street NW, 11th Floor Washington, DC 20036 120 Wall Street, 26th Floor New York, NY 10005

www.freedomhouse.org facebook.com/FreedomHouseDC @freedomHouseDC 202.296.5101 | [email protected]